Denver Post Gets Real With 'Real World' Website

Denver Post Gets Real With 'Real World' Website

DENVER, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Denver Post has launched a new website to coincide with the official launch party for the 18th season of MTV's long-running hit The Real World, now filming in lower downtown Denver (LoDo). Found at www.getrealdenver.com, this interactive, multimedia site will chronicle the antics of Real World's cast and production crew while they live and work in one of Denver's most trendy neighborhoods.

"Real World coming to Denver offered us a chance to connect in a fun way with a younger demographic," said Denver Post editor Greg Moore. "The show will have a presence around town, and to be disconnected from it seemed a missed opportunity. I hope this site becomes a way for our readers to interact with each other and The Post as we track the doings of Real World participants."

Or undoings, perhaps.

Anchored by Post entertainment reporter John Wenzel, getrealdenver.com promises to expose the naked truth behind the scenes of reality television. "Getrealdenver.com isn't a fan site and doesn't endorse the program," Wenzel said. "Its purpose is twofold: to give local residents a way to participate and to take a critical look at reality TV and its impact on our community."

To promote the first, getrealdenver.com, a work-in-progress, invites uncensored contributions from Denverites who encounter the cast during filming. In addition to Wenzel's blog entries, site content at launch included Stuff (Meet the Cast, Moblog/Photo Gallery, Video Archive and Real World Mapped); Polls; Recent Pics; Denver Links; Real World Links; and Other Stuff. The quantity of content should explode as sizzling temperatures and the seven-member cast, noted in previous seasons for their liberal use of alcohol and condoms, heat up LoDo's bar scene and feed this online grapevine.

Enabled with multimedia capability, getrealdenver.com allows anyone with a camera phone or an Internet connection to participate. "People can report sightings and stories using reply frames, and they can vote on rotating opinion polls," said Post multimedia producer Doug Conarroe. "The Real World Mapped page increases the possibility that site visitors encounter the cast at their favorite hangouts." Partiers who find themselves drinking with the cast at MTV-approved watering holes or other local haunts can email cell phone pictures or videos to moblog@getrealdenver.com for posting. RSS feed is also supported.

Wenzel plans to upload audio and video reports in addition to his regular blog entries. His perspective will be more critical, however, peering under the rocks of reality TV.

"How 'real' can a reality TV show be," he asks, "that casts aspiring models and actors in the leading roles and preplans episode plots based on their personal histories? Is it 'real' when the production company pays a club owner thousands of dollars in advance to guarantee cast members a seat at the bar? Virtually everyone that cast members interact with must sign a nondisclosure agreement to keep the genie in the bottle until the show airs. How real is that? MTV is using our town as a backdrop to sell ads and build brand awareness, so we're going to use them to reveal the real world behind The Real World.

"Some nights I'll follow the cast," Wenzel continued, "and use my cell phone to create and upload audio clips or my laptop to blog about what they're up to. These will post in five minutes, making getrealdenver.com about as real-time as it gets. We're counting on other people to do the same. We've really ramped up the interactivity of this site, because that's what this demographic -- young people aged 18 to 25 years -- expects."

Wenzel also plans to evaluate the show's impact on Denver. "Not all bar owners have agreed to accommodate The Real World cast and crew," he said. "Filming on-site means fewer seats or inconvenience for other customers, and the economics may not be favorable to local business owners." On the upside, the City of Denver and its amenities will be the beneficiary of 24 weeks of free publicity. The impact of such exposure will continue long after filming and the broadcast season wrap up. "We'll keep the site going at least that long, if not longer," Wenzel said.

Content on getrealdenver.com, an ever-changing, online-driven step out of the box for The Denver Post, stands to be far more real than reality TV could ever be. "It's more than a blog," Wenzel said. "It's a gathering place for people interested in the show who want to follow its progress. We won't libel or lie, but we will post gossip and rumors people might find interesting whether they're fans or critics. By the time this season's episodes air, what happened will be old news."

Getrealdenver.com will be the real Real World information source for its 18th season, whether site visitors live in Denver or Denmark.

Source: Denver Newspaper Agency

CONTACT: Jim Nolan, Director of Communication, +1-303-892-2900, or cell,
+1-303-981-3356, Jnolan@denvernewspaperagency.com, or DeAnne Minner,
Communications Manager, +1-303-892-5132, Dminner@denvernewspaperagency.com,
both of Denver Newspaper Agency

Web site: http://www.getrealdenver.com/

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